


Don't you forget about me

by gotsichi7



Series: b i n g o: a rare-pair [1]
Category: GOT7
Genre: Alcohol Mentions, Childhood Friends, Got7 Ensemble - Freeform, M/M, also maybe jackbum, and so am i, basically bambam and jinyoung are neighbours for the most part of their lives, but when shit happens it happens, first time writing for this pairing, high school friends - Freeform, jinbam are soft, slight jinson, slight yugbam?, slight? angst, slow burn???, there is a lot of ambiguity, they grow up and things get weird
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2018-11-17 12:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11275752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gotsichi7/pseuds/gotsichi7
Summary: To fill in a prompt in the Rarepair mini ficfest which is: "Jinyoung and Bambam are childhood friends. As Jinyoung grows up, people begin to wonder why they remain friends when they are so different from each other. but opposites attract and maybe Jinyoung is hoping for something than just friendship." and also a prompt from my bingo card which is "old tv shows'





	1. Why'd it take me so long

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [Got7RarePairFest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Got7RarePairFest) collection. 



> I haven't proofread this so i apologize in advance.  
> Also i have little to no knowledge of western schooling system so let's just pretend we know what i'm talking about ;)

Jinyoung cycled in lazy circles slowly in the driveway of his house. It was late in the evening and he was waiting for his father to change from his work clothes to his sports attire so they could go the nearby park for some father and son time. He stopped after 10 circles, feeling a little dizzy from all the turning; slouching onto the handle of his bike, letting his face rest on his arms. His father was sure taking his time.

  
He had been eager to test the bike out ever since his father had got it for him for his 7th birthday last week but with school and his mother refusing to let him wander around the new housing area without someone to watch him, he simply hadn’t got a chance yet. But now, it was finally happening. Even though his old man was clearly taking forever to get ready.

  
He parked his bike, prepared to run into the house to tell his father to hurry up when he heard a yelp and the sound of crashing. Jinyoung looked to his side and saw a little kid picking himself up. He doesn’t cry but he mumbled angrily at himself and it reminded Jinyoung of when his mother messed up her cooking making the boy look older than his real age which was probably only 4 years old.

  
“Are you alright?” Jinyoung called to him. The little boy looked at him with a pink flush across his chubby cheeks. Jinyoung felt himself walking towards the boy, turning around the hedge fence between their houses to stand next to the young boy, looking at the dirt on the small hands of the said boy. The little boy shied away when Jinyoung attempted to brush the stubborn dirt away.

“I’m alright,” he said cutely, his speech still thick with mispronunciations and Jinyoung giggled. He had always begged his parents for a younger brother since his sisters were paired up and he felt lonely. He loved kids.

  
“Jinyoungie?” His father’s voice echoed. “Are you ready to go?”

  
Jinyoung glanced at the boy in front of him. His eyes were fixed on the bike Jinyoung had left on his porch and suddenly it all clicked.

  
“DAD!” Jinyoung almost shouted out of excitement. “Can we bring him along?”

  
He smiled widely at the boy in front of him who has his eyebrows raised. He could hear his father making his way over. Then, his father crouched down to level himself with them.

  
“Hey, kid,” His father said to the silent boy that was now slowly shying further away from his new neighbours. “Do you wanna join us to the park?”

  
The boy nodded shyly, his eyes glancing at Jinyoung’s shiny bicycle every other second as if afraid it would go away.

“What’s your name, kid?” His father asked again.

“Bambam,” he said it in the most adorable way. Jinyoung wanted to pinch his cheeks.

  
“We can take turns riding my bike!” Jinyoung screeched and jumped, hopping towards his father's feet. His father laughed as he held his son close to him, probably afraid his son would fall down from over-excitement.

  
“I’ll go ask his parents if it’s ok first, alright, Jinyoungie?” his father said, heading for the front door. “Keep an eye on Bambam. I’ll be right back.”

  
Jinyoung looked Bambam with his widest smile. “Do you wanna ride the bicycle?”

  
Before Bambam could nod, Jinyoung was already pulling at his hand towards his bicycle.

  
-o0o-

It was a typical Friday, his father picking them all up from school with a 90's hit playing on the radio. Jinyoung let his eyes glaze over the blur of colours from outside of the car window. His father was humming to the radio while his sisters fought over the last piece of the chocolate they had been sharing. He felt himself get excited when they turn into the corner and Jinyoung could just see his house.

  
“Open the door! Open the door!” Jinyoung shouted, already unbuckling his seat belt.

  
“Hold on, Jinyoung!” His father warned as he slowly parked the car in their driveway. “No TV until after homework!”

  
Jinyoung whined, already impatiently toying with the door handle even though it was clearly still locked. “Can’t I do homework tonight?”

  
“Alright but you gotta promise. You are turning 13 now. You have to learn to keep your promises!” his father said. Jinyoung nodded but his attention was already focused on the boy waving at him on their front porch. Bambam, who had aged into a 10 year old boy since the first time they had met, stood in front of the Park’s front door. His pants were a little wonky on his small frame and probably a size too big but his bright smile as their Nissan drove in was wider than his face. The door unlocked and Jinyoung was flying out of the car, leaving his school bag in his seat.

  
His father sighed but there was really no point because there was no way he could separate those two once they were together.

  
-o0o-

 

“When you leave for high school are we still going to hang out?” Bambam’s voice grew smaller with every syllable that left his mouth. Jinyoung’s pried his eyes off of the old TV show from his sister’s collection. It was Lizzie McGuire and no one in his school needs to know how much he enjoys watching Lizzie McGuire go through high school because they would probably tease him. But Bambam would never do it and they sort of love watching it together.

  
“What do you mean?” Jinyoung asked. His eyes were now focused on Bambam trying to get popcorn in his mouth but failing, instead of the TV screen. “We are still going to be neighbours, aren’t we?”

Bambam glanced at him and Jinyoung quickly realized the change in colour of his cheeks. _Had Bambam been worried?_

  
“It won’t be that easy to get rid of me,” Jinyoung said, roughly grabbing the bowl of popcorn out of Bambam’s hands. Bambam whined but doesn’t argue for it back like he usually does.

  
He must have been really worried.

 

-o0o-

  
Jinyoung phone buzzed to life. It’s probably 2 a.m. but he waited for his phone to go dark before he picked it up. It was a text message. He could tell because the vibration was short and the chime told him who it was straight away. He should really just put his phone on 'do not disturb' mode. Bambam doesn’t really know how to leave him alone. He climbed out of bed, rubbing his eyes, grabbing his phone on the side table. He opened the message and frowned.

  
“You awake?”

  
It was so vague; Jinyoung couldn’t possibly tell what Bambam meant. It could be anything.

“What is it, Bambam?” He typed and pressed send without much thought.

  
“Can you come over?”

Jinyoung stared at the message. He was tired and there was school tomorrow. _Couldn’t Bambam wait till morning?_

  
“I left the back door unlocked,” is the next message that comes in not longer than a minute later causing Jinyoung to sigh aloud. Bambam really didn't leave him much of a choice. Someone had to lock the door because Bambam sure as hell wouldn’t.

  
He found himself some long pants and slid it on over his shorts. He grabbed a hoodie and walked out of his room with his eyes half closed. He could walk to Bambam’s room with his eyes closed from the thousands of times he had sneaked out in the middle of the night like this.

  
He slowly opened the door to Bambam’s room after tiptoeing through the quiet household. Bambam’s mother was a light sleeper and Jinyoung would prefer if he didn’t wake her. The woman juggled two jobs to keep Bambam and his younger sister afloat, sleep was precious for her surely. It wasn’t that Jinyoung didn’t want her to know he was here because he bets tomorrow there would be an extra pancake waiting for him. Bambam’s mother is amazing and Jinyoung would never understand how she knew but she always does.

  
“What took you so long?” Bambam whispered into the darkness of his room.

  
Jinyoung remained wordless and nudged Bambam so he would scoot over. He laid himself next to Bambam, immediately closing his eyes. He was no longer sleepy but he liked to let Bambam to think so. 

  
“Jinyoung,” Bambam whispered. Jinyoung turned his face to Bambam in the darkness. He could make out the silhouette of the younger next to him but he couldn't see the expression on his face. Their faces were close; close enough that if the lights were on, he would have to step back to see his whole face. 

  
“I think there is something wrong with me,” Bambam’s voice cracked and Jinyoung’s heart broke a little. He had been here countless times. Bambam had lured him into his bed at the dead of night a hundred times before but they always talk about useless things. Bambam always had something he was planning for; he always had something he was excited about; he always had something that he was wondering about. His thoughts were never impractical or overly imaginative like Jinyoung’s were but they were plenty of thoughts and Jinyoung liked listening to them despite his regrets in the morning.

But tonight; tonight it was different. He could already tell.

  
“What’s wrong, Bambam?” Jinyoung wanted to wrap his arm around Bambam’s small frame but Bambam had forbidden any sort of physical affection since he had entered high school claiming it was embarrassing. Bambam may be 14 years old but he still looked like a child and Jinyoung still treated him like one, regardless.

  
Bambam stayed oddly silent and concern grew in Jinyoung’s chest. “What is it, Bambam?”

  
Bambam shifted, adjusting himself so he could look at the ceiling instead of at Jinyoung (not that they could see each other in the darkness). Jinyoung saw Bambam’s mouth open as if he wanted to say something but it closes again. He was struggling and whatever it was wasn't easy to express. Knowing Bambam, he had probably been mulling over it for days or probably even weeks.

  
“I think I like someone,” Bambam mumbled. His voice was growing smaller and Jinyoung knew he was growing embarrassed to talk about his feelings. Bambam usually liked to put up a front and Jinyoung couldn’t blame him, even if he doesn’t know what Bambam was overcompensating for. Bambam was always never afraid to express his ideas or plans because those things he was proud of but feelings were hard for him. As if feelings weren't something that everyone felt.

  
“Like what?” Jinyoung asked a little too loud as his heart pumped faster in his chest. He can’t get the whole picture yet and Bambam wasn’t making much sense. His thoughts were working at a mile a minute as he tried to figure things out. “You mean you have a crush?”

  
Bambam covered his face using the blanket, a groan of disapproval sounded muffle against it. He was probably trying hard to keep the embarrassment from boiling over. He wriggles around next to Jinyoung for a few minutes, face still covered in the fluffy blanket before Jinyoung catches him mid-wiggle, holding him down with his weight. Bambam whined aloud at the weight, trying to push Jinyoung off.

“Hold still and get to the point, will you? Who is it?” Jinyoung chastizeded, trying to sound strict but his chuckles gave it away. It was hard to take Bambam seriously when he was like this.

  
“Ugh! Let go!” Bambam said, wrestling against Jinyoung but his small frame was no match for Jinyoung’s 17 year old built. “Let go or i’ll tickle you!” Bambam growled and Jinyoung raised his hands up in surrender. Bambam laughed at the offended face Jinyoung had put on his face, knowing full well that the face was only for show, there was no real bite behind it.

  
“Who is it?” Jinyoung said when their laughter finally dies down and repositioning himself on the bed. Bambam sat crossed legged looking down at Jinyoung's face on his pillows. He was serious; Jinyoung could tell from the way his gaze wasn’t flickering, his heart out in the open.

  
“You have to promise not to laugh,” he said. His eyes finally faltering probably from the intense gaze Jinyoung usually has when he is thinking (too hard if Bambam had to describe it but thinking too hard is just thinking for Jinyoung).

  
“Alright. I’ll try,” Jinyoung resigned.

  
Bambam went silent as if thinking but a moment after a sigh left his mouth. Bambam was nervous; jinyoung could feel it. 

  
“It’ll probably be surprising so brace yourself,” Bambam took a very deep breath and released it slowly. Jinyoung was already thinking of all the possibilities; all the girls Bambam had grown closer to recently and one name stood out among the rest.

  
“Is it Jimin?”

  
“WHAT?!” Bambam jerked in surprise then started shaking his head vigorously. “No, not her.”

  
“Then?”

  
“You promise not to laugh?” Bambam asked again, the nerves returning. Jinyoung rolled his eyes but nodded regardless.

  
“Aidan,” Bambam slurred, hugging his knees into himself and covering his face behind his arm.

  
Jinyoung thought of an Aidan in their school but he couldn't put a face to the name and the silence grew between them making Bambam increasingly anxious. He looked up from where he hid his face behind his arm; concern painted on every inch of it.

  
“Aidan Cho?” Jinyoung asked, referring to the freshmen that came to the school library every break time to ask for classic novels and had pigtails in her hair always. She wasn’t really Bambam’s type (Bambam usually liked pretty things; things that stand out) but Bambam had said it may come as a shock. Maybe the fact that Bambam had never come into contact with Aidan Cho ever in his life was the shocker.

  
“What? Eww. No!” Bambam cried. “Aidan Peters.”

  
Jinyoung’s jaw hung slack for a moment as he tried to process this new information. He really didn’t see this one coming.

 

“Aidan Peters? Head of the Baseball club?” Jinyoung asked again. He might have misunderstood again. He may have misheard. “Aidan Peters from my History Class?”

  
“You take History with him?” Bambam asked promptly shaking his head, stopping the conversation from making a segue. “Yes. That Aidan Peters.”

  
Jinyoung turned speechless. He wasn’t quite sure what to say.

  
“I know. He’s not what you expected,” Bambam voice grew small again. Jinyoung watched Bambam curl within himself, recognizing the anxiousness that built in the younger’s body; fear of disapproval of his preference.

  
“I won’t pretend I’m not surprised,” Jinyoung said calmly. “But let me just clarify a few things.”

  
Bambam perked up slightly at Jinyoung’s reaction.

  
“What about Maria Walters?” Jinyoung asked. Bambam had a crush on her earlier in the year, claiming that her short skirts and well styled hair has him whipped.

  
“I don’t know,” Bambam grumbled. He ruffled his hair in a sort of frustration, groaning a “There must be something wrong with me!”

  
Jinyoung grabbed Bambam’s hand that had been fiddling with the edge of the blanket and pulled the smaller closer to him, allowing the distance between them shrink into extinction as he wrapped his arms and legs around the other. Bambam doesn’t fight it, like he would have on any other given day. Instead he melted into the embrace with a wounded noise.

  
“You’re still figuring things out Bambam. There is nothing wrong with you. I promise,” Jinyoung reassured, stroking the back of Bambam’s hands gently.

  
“I’m scared,” Bambam mumbled against the soft hoodie Jinyoung had on.

  
“There is no need to be.”

  
-o0o-

 

It was in the end of Jinyoung’s senior year when Bambam met Yugyeom who had just transferred to their school. What was once just the two of them had turned into a group of three and Jinyoung couldn’t say he was unhappy about it. Yugyeom and Bambam got along so well that sometimes Jinyoung felt like they have known each other for the longest time.

  
“Jinyoung-hyung!” Yugyeom shouted from the entrance of the cafeteria. Yugyeom was korean and he had insisted on honorifics the moment they met, though, Jinyoung didn’t mind it. Jinyoung had his book out on the cafeteria table; finals were just around the corner and Jinyoung was trying to cram any information he may have left out.

  
“Where is Bambam?” Jinyoung asked, his head already searching for the other.

  
“Toilet,” Yugyeom said taking a big bite into his bread. “He told me to go ahead.”

  
Jinyoung nodded prepared to reimmerse himself into the textbook in front of him when Yugyeom cleared his throat.

  
“Hyung,” he began and Jinyoung felt some tension build in his shoulders. Yugyeom was always transparent from the very first day so even if Jinyoung hadn’t spent much time with him nor does he know the younger that well, Jinyoung could tell what he was about to ask was sort of a big deal by his intonation.

  
“What is it?”

  
“Do you not have friends your age?” Yugyeom mumbled. His arms were already protecting his body as if he knew if Jinyoung was offended he would hit him (he wasn’t wrong).

  
“Of course I do,” jinyoung said scrunching his face into confusion rather than anger. There was more; he could feel it. “Why do you ask?”

  
“It’s just,” Yugyeom paused, nervous “Bambam is so… out there and you are, well, you.” Yugyeom cautiously gestured to the layout of books and food he had in front of him.

  
“So you think we are too opposite to be friends?”

  
“NO!” Yugyeom shouted garnering the attention of the nearby tables. “Not like that! I can tell you mean a lot to Bambam and it’s just interesting.”

  
Jinyoung just laughed. He has probably heard people ask about why he hung out with Bambam a few times but most of them were malicious. Yugyeom, however, (despite his cheeky nature) wasn’t.

  
“He’s worried about you moving for college,” Yugyeom said when he had finally took the first bite of his apple. “He thinks you are going to find new friends and leave him behind.”

  
Jinyoung’s heart swelled; the smile on his face doing little to hide it. “He told you that?”

  
“Please don’t tell him i said that,” Yugyeom choked in sudden realization. “He’ll kill me.”

  
“Who would kill you?” Bambam arrived with a bright smile on his face. Yugyeom’s eyes widening as if Bambam was a ghost.

  
“His dad. Yugyeom forgot to do his bed this morning,” Jinyoung sent a wink to Yugyeom and tugged Bambam towards him, placing him into a headlock.

  
“What are you doing?” Bambam protested struggling against Jinyoung who was laughing, “You’re ruining my hair!”

  
Jinyoung released him after squeezing him a little harder, making Bambam squeal.

  
“I told you don’t hug me in public it’s embarrassing!” Bambam whined as he fixed his hair while looking at his phone as a mirror.

  
Jinyoung and Yugyeom only laugh louder.

 

 

 


	2. just to find

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time they spent together quickly dwindling as their priorities change; specifically, Jinyoung’s priorities has changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> decided to break what initially was meant to be chapter 2 into two parts. the next part wont take months *crosses fingers*

Jinyoung never once thought that he and Bambam would reach a point where they were no longer friends. Growing up it has always been just him and Bambam cycling at the park, daring each other to climb trees or pull pranks on their sisters. They were the only boys in their family and though they had some friends in school, Bambam was always his best friend. Bambam was always the closest to him.

And it wasn’t like they weren’t friends anymore. It's just that the distance that somehow had been created between them from being in different years of high school had finally caught up. The time they spent together quickly dwindling as their priorities changed; specifically, Jinyoung’s priorities has changed.

Jinyoung was in his final year and no matter how much he wanted to join Bambam in their usual hang outs after school he simply couldn’t. He needed to focus on getting into college because if there was anything he wanted more than college was a full scholarship. And with his grades he might just be able to get that.

Bambam had Yugyeom and just about any role that Jinyoung had held in his life was now handed over to the youngest. Jinyoung wasn’t complaining; he wasn’t jealous. If anything, he was grateful because without Yugyeom, guilt would just eat Jinyoung up.

Life was weird in the way that they were still neighbours going to the same school yet the drift could be felt. It wasn’t painful nor was it hard, rather it was natural. Bambam had Yugyeom that was his age and foolish like he was. Jinyoung was waiting for his applications to come through so he could finally move out. Maybe change was good.

Jinyoung turned his bedroom lights off and prepared himself for bed. He could see the lights in Bambam’s room from the next door house were already turned off. It was 2 am and naturally Bambam should be asleep by now. Yet he pondered upon how long it’s been since he had actually went next door. It’s been too long.

He was already tucking himself into bed when his phone came to life. The chime from his phone was one that he hasn’t heard in a long time. It’s a text he wasn’t expecting to get. He picked it up and supressed the fastening of his heart beat. Was it weird to feel this nervous to read a message?

“Goodnight,” it read. There were no emojis. A simple and minimal text that made Jinyoung’s heart rush to a point of hurting. It was from Bambam but just that one word held more than just what it seems. Or maybe Jinyoung was overly poetic about everything in his life.

“Come here.” Jinyoung’s thumb lingered on the send button for longer than it should have but his thumb pressed it after a small indecisive dance. Bambam might not come and would probably think Jinyoung wasn’t serious. Or maybe Bambam knew exactly what Jinyoung was feeling. Bambam was unpredictable like that. There was no true way of telling.

-o0o-

“Is it hard being my friend?” Bambam’s voice was muffled against Jinyoung’s pillow. Bambam had knocked the door of his room just when Jinyoung had given up waiting. He shuffled awkwardly at the door before Jinyoung pat the empty space next to him on the bed. Now it seemed like he belonged there. Or maybe Jinyoung was just weird when it wass this late into the night.

“Why do you say that?” Jinyoung asked. His eyes trained on the part of Bambam’s face that was leaning on his pillow. Bambam’s skin looked softer than usual.

Bambam shrugged, shifting his body to face the ceiling and Jinyoung mimicked him. They both spend a few seconds in silence. Jinyoung staring at the shadows on the white ceiling listening to their breaths syncing as they relaxed into Jinyoung’s bed. If Jinyoung closed his eyes, he could pretend they were children talking about their stupid dreams and laughing at stupid dick jokes.

But certainly was not that anymore.

For a moment, Jinyoung wondered if Bambam felt nostalgic too. He wondered if Bambam was ok with the change that has happened between them with growing up, the way he had come to accept it. Jinyoung, however, was never one to pry. If Bambam wanted to tell him, he would have.

“Is it hard to be my friend?” Jinyoung echoed, making Bambam turn to face him, probably in confusion on whether Jinyoung was expecting an answer. Bambam doesn’t take him seriously and just lets a disapproving groan leave his mouth.

“Is it hard for the cool Bambam to be friends with little old nerdy me?” Jinyoung teased, a smile already finding its way to his face as Bambam squirms in protest.

Bambam hates it when Jinyoung teases him that way but Jinyoung loved the way Bambam looked. He loved how the younger reacted to teasing and Jinyoung would do anything to get something from Bambam.

“You are cute when you’re annoyed,” Jinyoung teased. Bambam puffed his cheeks, mumbling complaints under his breath. There is a shift in Bambam’s eyes and Jinyoung blames it on the distance he had built between them.

“Just sleep, old man,” Bambam said, pulling the blanket over his body, turning away from Jinyoung. If it was sometime before this weird distance between them, he would have faked a pout and pretended to be offended just to tease Bambam more but it wasn’t. Jinyoung heaves a heavy sigh hoping the aching in his heart was nostalgia and the norm of growing up. He slipped his arm over him, ready for sleep to take over.

 

-o0o-

 

“Jinyoungie,” his mother’s voice caught his attention. She came into his room with a soft smile plastered on her face. “Done packing?”

Jinyoung nodded, glancing at the luggage and some boxes he had set at the corner of his room. A fleeting thought passed through his mind of the electrical kettle he had placed in the new car his parents had given him as a graduation present. He had been running through lists in his mind; convincing himself time and time again that ‘no, he hasn’t forgotten anything,’,though the overthinker in himself is convinced he has.

“Bambam came by to pass you a present,” his mother said. She placed a rectangular gift with brown wrapping paper and a red ribbon on his desk.

“Why didn’t he give it to me himself?” Jinyoung questioned, his hand grasping the present in his hands. “He just left?”

His mother nodded. “He said something about homework and left. Even after i offered him some chocolates which he usually accepts. A little odd, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” jinyoung agreed finding a seat on his bed and just smiled. Sometimes Bambam does the weirdest things.

“He is probably just sad to see you go. I can relate,” His mother said half-jokingly but the tone in her voice gave away her sadness. Jinyoung smiled sadly at her, quickly sitting next to her, allowing her to lean her weight on him in the only comforting gesture he knew. His mother was worried and it wasn't hard to tell. She looked at him with a smile and Jinyoung could see her already missing her only son. It was just his parents in the house now that all the siblings slowly moved out. She placed a kiss on his forehead, “I’m so proud of you.”

Jinyoung smiled and allowed his mother a tight hug.

 

-o0o-

 

Jinyoung held his phone tightly in his hand and stared at the door in front of him. Usually he just barged in but tonight there was tension in his shoulders and nerves in his stomach. Tomorrow may not stay the same.

He curled his fingers around the door knob and took a deep breath.

Bambam was sitting on his bed with his earphones in, an increasingly shocked expression as he realized Jinyoung was standing in his door way.

“What are you doing here?” Bambam croaked. Jinyoung effectively masked the thundering in his heart with a smirk looking at Bambam as though he belonged here.

“Just thought i’d open this in front of you,” Jinyoung waved the brown package his mother had bought to him just now, evoking immediate protest from Bambam.

“I passed it to your mum because i didn’t want you to open it in front of me!” he groaned. Jinyoung’s laugher echoed in Bambam’s small room.

“Too bad,” he said inviting himself into Bambam’s bed. He doesn’t wait for Bambam to move. He usually never does anyway.

“GO HOME!” Bambam exclaimed, weakly pushing Jinyoung off his bed.

Jinyoung exaggerated an offended look and Bambam laughed as he whined; a smile creeping onto his face when he realized how cute Bambam was being.

“Is this because you’re too cool to hang out with me now?” he baited, awaiting for Bambam’s reaction.

“Nooooo,” Bambam whined. “It's not that and you know it” he protested by wiggling his body, still weakly trying to push Jinyoung off his bed.

“What are you so embarrassed of?” Jinyoung laughed when Bambam finally gave up, a pout evident on his face. Bambam covered his face with his pillow, whining into it in response. He knew at this point there was nothing he could do to stop the elder; there was no changing Jinyoung’s mind was he has his mind set.

“Fine fine,” he grimaced. “open it. Go ahead. But you gotta promise you won’t tease me.”

Jinyoung smiled at his victory. He ripped the cellotape of and neatly opened the wrapping but quickly becoming impatient and ripped the whole wrapper off. Bambam peeked from between the fingers he had used to facepalm at Jinyoung with small groan escaping his mouth when the present was revealed. It revealed a photo frame with a picture of them together from when their parents had brought them to a picnic sometime ago. Jinyoung had his arms wrapped around the younger’s shoulders, his body weight anchoring him down but Bambam still had his hands held up with a peace sign at waist length, smiling happily. It’s a fond memory.

“This is so sweet. Why didn’t you just give it to me?”

Bambam shrinked smaller into his bed, his cheeks turning pinker by the minute. “I wanted to give you something to remember me by but you always make fun of me.”

“I won’t forget about you, Bambam. I never would,” Jinyoung said, catching Bambam’s wrist in his hand, pulling him up from where he was covering his face and crushing their bodies together into a mess of a hug. “I will always make fun of you but i would never forget you.”

Bambam groaned into Jinyoung’s hug but doesn’t push him away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hold on. it's coming. 
> 
> as per usual shout at me to finish this @ got7doubleb on tumblr or gotsichi7 on twitter.


	3. just to find part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jinyoung goes to college and there is trouble re-adjusting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god i am sorry this took so long. please feel free to shout at me for being late. thank you to my lovely fren @bamsbutt who read this for me when i had doubts

“So tell me again why I have to pick you up?” Jinyoung said as Bambam sat himself in the passenger seat. Jinyoung’s car was parked in front of Bambam’s house, an old english song playing as the sun slowly sets. Bambam was dressed in the pair of ripped jeans he has worn one too many times along with a plain black shirt, a flannel draped loosely on his shoulders. It was a far cry from the Bambam Jinyoung knew growing up who wore cartoon printed shirts and hand me down jeans. This Bambam had grown out of his awkward adolescence and knew what looked good and what didn’t.

  
“First of all, you are the only friend I have that drives,” Bambam said, tuning the radio to play the latest pop chart hits. “Secondly, Mum would never allow me to go if i walked.”

  
“Your mum wouldn’t let you go if you told her where you were truly going,” Jinyoung said, rolling his eyes. He feels like whenever Bambam was around he was constantly rolling his eyes.

  
Bambam snorted in response to Jinyoung’s comment as he started fiddling with his phone. He doesn’t argue because his mother had no idea where the both of them were headed and his mother would definitely disapprove of Bambam being at a college party at Jackson’s house; no matter how much Bambam’s mother loved Jackson.

 

“You should be at home doing homework anyway. Not dragging me to college parties!” Jinyoung nagged as he turned into the corner of Jackson’s place.

  
“You could just leave after dropping me off,” Bambam retorted, barely looking up from his phone. Jinyoung could see the familiar light blue of twitter from his screen and suppressed the need to nag him on how much the boy was obsessed with social media. There was already one battle he was fighting; he couldn’t do another. “I am not a child. You don’t need to babysit me.”

  
“When you come home drunk, your mother will kill me because she knew i pick you up, Bambam. I HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU!” Jinyoung raised his voice but Bambam just laughed as if it was the most funniest thing he had heard Jinyoung say. “And you are a child!”

  
Bambam’s laugh came to an immediate halt. “I’m in my last year of high school, i am not a child!”

  
“Yes, you are,” Jinyoung punctuated. He parked his car in Jackson’s driveway and held Bambam’s wrist, stopping him from leaving the car before he got the last say. Bambam looked at him, slightly deflated but Jinyoung could still see laughter bubbling under his expression. Bambam could never take him seriously. “I’m not leaving without you, so please don’t leave with anyone else.”   
  
“Eww!” Bambam cried. “I won’t. Now, can we please go?” he begged in the most innocent and annoyingly adorable way. Jinyoung put on a face of disgust anyway, even if there wasn’t any actual disgust in him.

  
He unlocked the door and Bambam jumped out almost immediately, leaving Jinyoung to watch as him skip towards the muffled party music.

  
-o0o-

 

Parties were not really Jinyoung’s thing. Sure, he was friend’s with Jackson Wang and Im Jaebum who were notorious for their outrageous parties but he had always been awkward when socializing with new people. He prefered a more intimate setting rather than a full blown party with a couple dozen of people trying to hold in their liquor. It really just wasn’t his thing. But parties were Bambam’s thing and he always somehow ended up in the party scene. And every time he finds himself in one he was always sitting or standing in a corner alone.

 

From his spot tonight, he watched Bambam and Yugyeom dancing in the middle of the living room; vibing off of each other’s moves. They match each other so well but each time they do, they laugh like it was the most private inside joke ever.  

  
“You are going to break the chair if you hold on any tighter,” Jinyoung almost spilled his wine when he turns to find Jaebum looking at him with a smug expression. “Aren’t you a little too invested in their dancing?” Jaebum asked, his head tilting towards the howling mess of the boys grinding the floor. They’ve managed to attract a crowd now.

  
“The maknaes are wasted,” Jinyoung explained. Yugyeom was laughing a little too loud and Bambam was having trouble getting up after the elaborate demonstration of his dance moves that really should be kept for when he was in private. They were both too drunk and it didn’t need a lot to see that. “I’m going to have to carry Bambam home at this rate.”

  
Jaebum squeezed his shoulder in sympathy, amusement obvious in his expression as his other hand lifted the beer bottle in his other hand. “Good luck with that!”

  
“Ugh, Jaebum,” he sighed into the palm of his hands “What am I going to do?”

  
“You could just break up the party,” Jaebum suggested. Jinyoung groaned internally after a sip of his wine.

 

“He’ll be mad if I do that,” Jinyoung twirled his wine, wondering if he had already had too much. “I’m going outside to sober up.”

 

It was one thing to have to carry Bambam home tonight. It was another to see the way everyone was eying him. He really couldn’t stand it.

 

-o0o-

 

“It’s quite a party, eh?”

 

Jinyoung turned to see Jackson dressed in a tank top, the jacket obviously thrown somewhere when he was trying to show off his dance moves just moments before.

 

“What are you doing out here, Park Jinyoung?” He paused to scan Jinyoung from top to bottom and Jinyoung noticed the two beer bottles in his hands. “Not having fun at my party?”

 

Jinyoung shook his head vigorously. Jackson was a new friend. (New to Jinyoung but Jackson Wang didn’t have that meter in his friendships. He treated everyone as if he had known them forever) Jackson laughed it off, then proceeded to offer Jinyoung the other beer, in which Jinyoung quickly declined. “I’m driving.” Jinyoung offered.

 

“Good cause this was all for myself anyway,” He said setting the bottle on the railing of the patio where they stood.

 

“Wow, someone’s keen to get wasted,” Jinyoung teased. Liquid confidence sure doing its job in smoothing out the usual awkward kinks of his social skills.

 

Jackson just smiled but it doesn’t really reach his eyes. They lean on the rails of the patio of his house. The area only lit by the lights coming from inside. It’s weirdly calm despite the muffled music and random outburst of laughing and howling from inside. Jackson gulped down his drink with a odd urgency which Jinyoung wouldn’t question.

 

If he wanted to talk about it he would have mentioned it.

 

“So how did you find yourself here? Drinking two bottle of beers alone outside at your own party?” As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted it. He should just shut up but the awkward silence where Jackson was drinking his beer in record speed and him staring into the darkness of the empty night sky was nerve wracking. In the future, Jinyoung would have found that Jackson was being abnormally silent but how would he have known that right now.

 

Jackson however just laughed.

 

“First of all, i’m not alone; you are here,” he smirked cheekily. “Secondly, i could ask you the same thing to you.”

 

“I asked first though,” Jinyoung said smiling proudly at himself for his witty comeback.

 

Jackson’s eyebrows raised in mild offence but he arranged himself so that he was looking directly at Jinyoung. Jinyoung took note of how big his eyes were and how there was a soft and warmth in it that would probably take years for Jinyoung to understand.

 

“We’ve been friends for what? A year?”

 

“Probably not longer than 3 months since we only met around that time?” Jinyoung said. Jackson made a face like he didn’t believe him and waving him off in ignorance.

 

“Well, I mean we are best mates right?” Jackson asked, his eyes feigning the innocence of a puppy. “I could trust you with my secrets, right?”

 

Jinyoung would like to say, ‘no we’ve just met’ but the way Jackson was looking at him made it hard to disappoint. He nodded, promising himself that in the future, they probably would be best mates, so he technically wasn’t lying.

 

“Am i not attractive?” Jackson asked, snapping to gain Jinyoung’s attention. Jackson’s face had somehow made it closer than Jinyoung felt comfortable and unconsciously he had started moving back. “Am I ugly?”

 

“No,” Jinyoung stuttered, still moving his face further from the shorter who seemed oblivious to Jinyoung’s discomfort or rather, ignorant of it. Jinyoung could see Jackson struggling to put his thoughts together, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth twitching as the cogs in his brain worked. Jinyoung could see when Jackson had an idea and how his stance eased and face free from tense muscles.

 

“Would you kiss me?” Jackson whispered, his face already way too close for comfort and Jinyoung knew he was being way too polite in not pushing the other off him. But somehow he doesn’t.

 

“WHAT?” Jinyoung cried defenselessly. Jackson still inching closer and his alcohol-stenched breathe was choking him.

 

“WHY WOULDN'T YOU KISS ME AM I UGLY?” Jackson whined. He had retracted his face slightly. “Please jinyoung? Please?”

 

“WHAT THE HELL JACKSON ARE YOU DRUNK?” Jinyoung manages. His arms holding Jackson’s shoulders in place making sure that JAckson doesn’t actually get close enough, as he was aware that somehow he had been cornered to the wall.

 

“It won’t mean anything, please?” Jackson begged, weirdly sounding like a wounded puppy. Any trace of the boisterous, lively JAckson that jinyoung knew was lost. “Please?”

 

It’s a little strange what effect Jackson had on him but somehow his grip loosened and their lips crashed together. And despite half aware of it going to happen, it still shocked Jinyoung because although it wasn’t his first kiss. It was his first with a man.

 

“Oh,” yelped someone who had slid the door open. They break apart; Jackson slumping into his arms from the alcohol weighing down on his body. Jinyoung looked up to find Jaebum, staring at Jackson rather than him. “Jinyoung” his mouth said despite how Jaebum’s eyes were stuck on the man in his arms.

 

“Yeah?” Jinyoung said despite the embarrassment of being caught making him flush.

 

“It’s Bambam.” Jaebum said finally making eye contact with the other. Jinyoung caught a glimpse of anger before Jaebum arranged himself into a poker face. “He fell in his own vomit at the front porch and he is having a fit about it.”

 

Jinyoung cursed, pushing Jackson into Jaebum’s arms and leaving whatever unresolved tension the two had. He had other things to deal with.

 

-o0o-

 

Jinyoung was glad he had worn a thick denim jacket, instead of his usual baseball shirts that he wore because at least the situation with Bambam was able to be saved. Bambam was cursing at the obvious stains on his front from where he fell into his own vomit while Yugyeom was trying with much difficulty to wipe the vomit stains and missing.

 

“Get off,” Jinyoung snapped at Yugyeom, nudging him off Bambam. Bambam who had been shrieking hysterically grew silent and Jinyoung couldn’t decide if Bambam was scared that Jinyoung would be mad or he was mad at him for pushing Yugyeom away.

 

“Take it off.”

 

Mark whistled in the background, obviously drunker than he seemed. Bambam stared at him solidly, unmoving. It was probably a silent protest towards Jinyoung courtesy of Mark’s suggestive gesture.

 

“Take it off,” Jinyoung repeated with a harshness he rarely ever uses on Bambam, completely ignorant of all the eyes that had started looking at them. Hesitantly, Bambam started taking off his pleat shirt to reveal the fitting black shirt he wore underneath.

 

Jinyoung then took his denim jacket off and placed it onto Bambam’s thin frame, ignoring the rush he felt at the way Bambam looked at him with innocent and hoping eyes which only made Jinyoung feel more overprotective than ever.

 

“We are going home,” Jinyoung said to no one in particular, grabbing Bambam’s wrist, tugging him along to his car.

 

-o0o-

 

“Are you going to stay over?” Bambam asked in timid voice that made Jinyoung feel like he should stay. But he knows he can’t. He hesitated; gripping the steering wheel as if it was the thing holding him in place even though the car was parked in Bambam’s driveway and he didn’t need to drive anymore.

 

“I can’t and you know it,” Jinyoung mumbled.

 

“It’s alright,” Bambam said, but the glint of disappointment that crosses the younger’s eyes made Jinyoung’s stomach curl uncomfortably.

 

-o0o-

 

Jinyoung doesn’t remember the last time he had seen Bambam or rather he does but he doesn’t really want to think about the 1 week, 1 day and probably entering the 3rd hour of when he had last talked to him.

 

It’s painful and Jinyoung would rather drown himself into all the work his professor have gladly given to him. Jaebum knows, Jackson knows, Mark knows that the name Bambam was under no circumstance allowed to be mentioned in his presence because days apart from the younger apparently brings out the worst of his temper. A temper he had no idea he had.

 

Despite the thousand and one annoying things, Bambam makes him do, (drive him to useless parties, spending the whole time they hang out together looking at his phone, calls jinyoung to urgently come to him only for it to be nothing and his passive aggressive remarks when Jinyoung won’t come) Jinyoung really just wanted to hear from him. He wasn’t denying that; he knew exactly what it is that he wanted and needed.

 

But just thinking about why they fought before all this shit went down was enough to deter him.

 

_“Why the fuck are you so mad to find out I have a boyfriend?”_

 

Jinyoung feels his fist clench at the sound of Bambam’s voice ringing in his head. Why was he mad that Bambam had a boyfriend? Was it because Bambam had waited for at least a month before telling him? Was it because Bambam had never dated anyone without telling jinyoung every detail of it?

 

_“Look, I would have told you if you weren’t too busy with everything else you had going on in your life. It wasn’t like I haven’t tried!”_

 

Jinyoung remembered the look on Bambam’s face that night in the passenger seat of his car, parked in the driveway of Bambam’s house. There was just enough amount of passive aggressiveness that it pricked Jinyoung’s skin with boiling anger. He was furious that he didn’t know what makes him so mad and it drove him crazy.

 

“ _I know you kissed Jackson at his party that day. I wasn’t mad so you have no right to be mad about this too!”_

 

_“I’m so sick of being the disappointment in your life, Jinyoung,”_

 

Bambam slammed his car door so hard that Jinyoung felt the whole car shake.The sound of the slam alone probably enough to wake the whole neighbourhood but instead of feeling angry at him for doing that, because this hyundai was his baby and usually it would annoy the fuck out of him, he felt hurt. Jinyoung’s heart clenched painfully in his chest and he felt his throat clog up as if he couldn’t breath, as if tears were threatening to spill.

 

What did Bambam even mean by being the disappointment in Jinyoung’s life? How could he even think that?

 

Jinyoung doesn’t cry, instead he smacked the steering wheel as hard as he could and groaned at the pain that shot up from it. Instead of giving in into sadness he let his anger follow him around for the rest of the week.

 

Jinyoung really doesn’t understand why he was sulking at 3am in the morning, unable to concentrate on the 3000 word essay he was meant to write, thinking about how nice it would be if he could just crawl into Bambam’s bed back at home.

 

But the reason they don’t do that; it wasn’t bambam’s. It was his.

 

-o0o-

  


“Hey, Jinyoung,” Jaebum breathed out his name like it was a sigh and from that alone Jinyoung could tell that Jaebum was prepared to talk about something Jinyoung wasn’t prepared to hear. He wasn’t stupid. He knew  it’s going to be about Bambam. He knew all his friends have been talking about them behind his back. Probably their best interest were reconciliation for Jinyoung and Bambam so they could be in the same space without it being awfully awkward.

 

Jinyoung had done a good job of avoiding any event Bambam would be there. Partially because even though he knew  with all his heart he wanted to meet Bambam. he knew Bambam’s new boyfriend could be in tow. And Jinyoung hasn’t yet dealt with the feelings he had buried deep in his mind.

 

“Do you know it’s almost final exams for Bambam in high school?” Jaebum asked and immediately flinched as if he knew just the mention of Bambam’s name would call for an overreaction. Instead Jinyoung just stared at the elder as if waiting for the point of the conversation to reveal itself.

 

“His grades aren’t great and he won’t listen to any of us,” Jaebum heaved a sigh (probably of relief). Jaebum looked at him and jinyoung already knew from the way Jaebum was looking at him that Jaebum needed his help.

 

_He would only listen to you._

 

Jaebum said it without even saying it. Well, what choice is Jinyoung left with?

 

-o0o-

 

It’s completely the worst way to seek Bambam’s forgiveness but Jinyoung knows if he just texted him that he was coming over to be his tutor, Bambam would laugh in his face (or even worse; ignore him completely). So instead, Jinyoung had contacted the closest thing to Bambam; his mother.

 

“Jinyoung!” Bambam’s mother has the warmest smile and the most soothing voice Jinyoung has ever encountered. She opened her arms and invited Jinyoung into a short hug. “I haven’t seen you for so long! You look so handsome now!” She gushed.

 

Jinyoung laughed completely flushed. “Bambam is in his room?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll tell him you’re here. Thank you for doing this,” Bambam mumbled, pinching Jinyoung’s cheek and turning to face the staircase.

 

“BAMBAM!” She shouted loud enough for bambam to hear from his room. “Your tutor is here.”

 

There was sound of Bambam’s door opening and the sound of his footsteps as he ran towards the entrance hall. Jinyoung braced himself for Bambam’s reaction. Bambam’s eyes fall on him and immediately his face falls.

 

“Are you kidding me?” he complained aloud, shifting his eyes to his mother. Bambam’s mother held a strict face, like it was easy to tell it meant bambam had no choice in this matter.

 

“But MOM?!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is it me or am i just getting more angsty with each chapter that i write. i said i'll finish this in the next month which was last month but somehow i got real sick... (these are excuses i tell my brain but really i got sick) so i'm vigorously trying to write the whole thing out. thank you to the people who actually tweeted me and sent me ask and comment to keep continue writing this because who knows where i'll be without them. and please continue to do so!!!!!
> 
> a few unrelated notes: if you have a tumblr, you guys should check out the bambam network i help start. you can find that [here!](http://bambamnetwork.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> as usual, shout at me for not updating at gotsichi7 on twitter or got7doubleb on tumblr. thanks


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